


Christmas Sweater Day

by theoofoof



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28408263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoofoof/pseuds/theoofoof
Summary: Carisi organises a Christmas Sweater Day and Barba isn't keen. Can Olivia convince him to participate?
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	Christmas Sweater Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ginnyskavsp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnyskavsp/gifts).



> Rose - I am so sorry this is late. The person who was allocated you in Secret Santa didn't come through with a fic in time and I felt bad that you didn't have one and I found this loitering unfinished on my hard drive, so I cleaned it up and finished it. I know this isn't the prompt you asked for, but I hope it serves as a good substitute until your original writer can get your prompt finished and uploaded.

It was the beginning of December when Carisi announced his brilliant idea. “We should have a Christmas Sweater day!” he declared as the squad’s weekly meeting with Barba was coming to a close.

“A what?” asked Rafael, barely containing his eye roll.

“Christmas sweater day,” reiterated Carisi. “My niece’s school had one last year. Everyone wears a Christmas sweater to work and donates to charity for the privilege.”

“That sounds cool!” agreed Amanda. “It is the season of givin’ after all.”

“Couldn’t hurt,” said Fin with a shrug. “Who knows, might even be fun.”

“We could even have a prize for the best one,” suggested Amanda.

“And the ugliest one,” Carisi added, his enthusiasm increasing by the second.

Rafael looked around the room; Carisi’s enthusiasm appeared to be contagious. Even Olivia was smiling as she considered the idea.

“When would you propose to hold this event?” asked Rafael, sceptically.

“Christmas Eve,” replied Carisi, his tone suggesting that the date should be obvious.

Rafael ignored him and looked at his watch. “Right, well if no-one one else has any pressing business, I have a meeting with the DA at ten.”

* * *

_December 18_

“Hey Liv, have you got your Christmas sweater sorted yet?” Amanda asked a couple of weeks later as they sat waiting for a defense attorney so they could continue to interview their suspect.

Olivia nodded. “I picked it up yesterday.” She pulled out her phone, swiping through numerous photos of Noah playing in the snow until she found what she was looking for. The photo she’d taken in the changing room mirror, of her trying on the cream sweater with a penguin wearing a pale blue scarf and earmuffs on it.

“Ooooh, that’s cute!”

“Thanks. You got yours?”

“Yup. Popped to Macy’s on the way home last night.” Amanda turned to the free computer and pulled up the website. “What d’ya think?”

“I like it,” Olivia agreed, as she looked at the red festive sweater embellished and snowflakes and 'I LOVE MISTLETOE' in big bold letters. “Are you trying to drop hints to a certain someone?” she asked, a knowing look on her face.

Amanda looked away, shyly, before replying, “Maybe. Do you think he’ll take the hint?”

Olivia looked out of her window at Carisi asleep in his chair; his head lolling back and mouth wide open. She smiled and shook her head. “Who knows?”

* * *

_December 23_

“While we’re all here, I just want to remind people that tomorrow is Christmas Sweater day!” Carisi said, after Olivia had brought the business of the morning meeting to a close. “Don’t forget your money; all donations are being split between the ‘ _New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund_ ’ and _‘No Kid Hungry’_ ,” he announced. “So, give generously.”

“It’s going to be brilliant!” echoed Amanda.

Barba reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and handed Carisi a couple of folded bills. “I’ll make my donation now, as I won’t be joining the rest of you in your festive fashion parade.”

A chorus of protests could be heard around the table “What?” “Why?” “Barba!”

“I have an arraignment first thing; I will not subject myself to ridicule from the judge or Rita by donning a hideous Christmas sweater.”

Murmurs of discontent followed Carisi, Rollins and Fin out of Olivia’s office.

“Are you really not going to wear a Christmas sweater?” Olivia asked.

“I am not. As I said, I have court in the morning… Besides, I don’t own a Christmas sweater and I object to spending money on some tacky piece of clothing I’ll probably never wear again, and I really don’t want to have to face the hordes of last-minute shoppers.”

“You’re being a Grinch,” she told him.

_“It could be my head isn’t screwed on quite right, it could be perhaps that my shoes are too tight!”_

“I’m impressed, you can quote Dr Seuss from memory.”

“My Abuelita used to read it to me.” Rafael got a wistful look in his eye; this would be his first Christmas without his grandmother.

She put her hand on his arm and gave a gentle squeeze. “Maybe you could read it to Noah next time you’re over at bedtime,” she suggested. Since the death of his Grandmother, he’d been spending more evenings at her place and, as a result, had grown closer to Noah, becoming her son’s preferred lap to sit on as well as his favourite storyteller.

Rafael smiled wistfully. He’d loved those story times in front of the fire with his Grandmother, snuggled on the sofa under the blanket, the Christmas tree lights twinkling in the corner. Maybe he could pass on some similar memories to Noah. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

* * *

_December 23_

Later that evening, Rafael was nursing a rather large glass of scotch when there was a knock on his front door. He opened it to find Olivia stood on his doorstep laden down with several shopping bags.

“Liv, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Can I come in? My feet are like ice.”

“Of course, of course!” He stepped aside and she entered, shaking snow off her coat and out of her hair.

“I was thinking about what you said this afternoon,” she began, as he closed the front door behind her, “about you not wanting to wear a Christmas sweater. It’s your choice obviously, and I respect that but, I think I’ve found the perfect one for you!” She opened one of the bags and pulled out a green sweater with the Grinch’s grin on the front, emblazoned with ‘I hate Christmas’.”

“Ha ha, very funny, Liv.”

“You don’t like it? Oh. Well then, what about…” she thrust the green one into his hands as she searched through the bags. “…this one?” The second one was jet black and exclaimed ‘Bah Humbug’ in big letters.

“I don’t know what’s worse, being thought of as the Grinch or Scrooge,” he quipped. “Are all these bags full of Christmas sweaters?”

“Most of them. One contains a bottle of Cabernet and a bottle of Scotch.”

“To sweeten the deal about the sweaters?”

Olivia smiled. “I’m not saying you have to wear any of them I just thought… I don’t mind it when the shops are busy. Especially not at this time of the year. There are the lights, brass bands playing Christmas Carols and… I don’t know, it’s just… Christmassy. And Lucy was happy to stay late with Noah so..." she shrugged.

“What will you do with the ones that I don’t like or don’t fit?”

“I’ll take them back and get a refund.”

Touched by her gesture, he gestured to the living room. “Go on through. I’ll get the glasses and then we’ll see what other hideous garments you have in those bags.”

* * *

After Rafael’s dismissal of several sweaters, most of which he found ridiculous – including one that had Rudolph’s face on the front and his rear end on the back, Olivia pulled out a navy one with a line of small, white reindeer across the chest and a muted Christmas pattern over the rest.

“As much as I think you should wear something a little more ‘out there’,” she gestured to the discarded pile of sweaters, “I thought this was probably more your style.”

“It’s definitely quieter than the rest,” Rafael observed, taking it from her. He held it up to examine it.

“I got this one too,” she said, showing him a similar sweater but in red, with green Christmas trees instead of reindeer.

“I think I prefer this one,” he told her, holding up the blue. “I’ll just go and try it on.”

He stepped out into the hall, lifting his t-shirt over his head as he went, giving Olivia a tantalising glimpse of bare skin before he rounded the corner. He returned moments later, wearing the sweater.

“Well?” he said.

“I like it, but then I would… I bought it. It’s what you think that matters.”

“Surprisingly, I like it too.”

“So, you’ll wear it?” she clarified.

“I’m probably going to regret this but go on then.”

She smiled, pleased that he was going to get involved.

“Not for court though,” he added. “

“No, not for court. May I use your bathroom?”

“Of course.” He pointed down the hallway he’d disappeared down before to change. “It’s second on the left.”

“Thanks.”

While Olivia was out of the room, Rafael began tidying away the sweaters that were piling up on his couch. As he did, he noticed there was still one left at the bottom of one of the bags. Even though he had decided on the navy, he was curious as to what else Olivia had picked out for him on her shopping spree. He pulled it out and held it up, his eyes widening at the message on the front. It didn’t take long, however, for his shock to be replaced with something else… Rafael had an idea.

* * *

Olivia returned to the living room and stopped dead as she turned towards the couch and spotted Rafael. He was reclined on the leather, drink in hand with one leg on the floor and the other up on the couch in a very provocative position, wearing the other sweater… the one she had purchased impulsively and had vowed on her journey from the shops to Rafael’s apartment, that she would not show him.

It was red, with the phrase, ‘Kiss me under the mistletoe’ written on it. It would have been innocuous enough, except for the strategically placed mistletoe motif knitted into the base of the sweater. The one that currently sat teasingly above Rafael’s crotch.

“Oh God!” Olivia was mortified, wanting the floor to open up and swallow her. The blush rose in her cheeks and her eyes darted around for an escape. They fell on the sliding door to his balcony and, making a snap decision, she bolted from the room.

Rafael couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face at her actions. He rose slowly from the couch intent to follow her, but then decided to give her a moment to gather herself. He noticed that her wine glass was empty, so picked up the bottle to refill it. He was somewhat surprised to find there was only enough left for one glass. He glanced at the bottle of scotch he’d been consuming. That had taken quite a dent too – they’d clearly drank more than they’d realised while discussing the merits of each sweater Olivia had bought and debating whether Carisi’s idea was genius or madness.

Both glasses refilled, he moved to the balcony door. His hand rested on the handle as his gaze swept the narrow space. The balcony wrapped around the apartment on two sides and she stood in the corner, leaning on the railing, and gazing out over the city.

He slid the door open quietly – just enough to slip out into the night air – and then closed it behind him. He watched her head tilt and knew that she had heard him, yet he announced himself anyway.

“Liv?”

She straightened as he approached and turned to face him, unable to hide the embarrassment and humiliation that had driven her outside.

Rafael held out her glass to her and she snatched it from him, downing the contents in one go. “No,” she declared, placing the glass on the small glass patio table to her left, “still humiliated. Got anything stronger?”

He glanced at the glass of scotch in his other hand and she reached for it.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked.

“Well, it’s not like the night could get any worse is it; I can’t embarrass myself any more than I already have.”

He shrugged and allowed her to take the glass from him, watching her as she downed that too.

She flinched slightly, the amber liquid burning as it slid down her throat and she suppressed a cough from the smoky taste. Pretending that it didn’t make her nauseous, she turned back to the railing, once more admiring the lights of the city. Silence stretched between them as they both searched for something to say. It was Rafael who found his voice first.

“Liv, there’s no reason to be embarrassed,” he assured her, joining her at the railing. “If anything, I’m… I’m flattered.”

She turned her head to face him. “F-flattered?”

“Yeah, that you would y’know… want to–” he waved his hand aimlessly.

“Rafa!” she squealed, not sure her voice had ever been that high before. “I didn’t mean… not that I would necessarily mind… I mean I’m sure it would be quite… nice…” She squeezed her eyes shut as her slightly intoxicated brain caught up with what she was saying. “Oh God!” she groaned, her cheeks flaming once more.

A snort of laughter escaped Rafael and she stared at him, wondering how on earth he could find this so amusing. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. He tried to speak… to apologise, but he just dissolved into more laughter at the absurdity of the situation and soon, much to her surprise, Olivia found herself smiling and laughing along with him.

When they had both calmed down, Rafael spoke gently. “Sorry, Liv. I was just teasing. I overheard heard your conversation with Rollins last week… about her using her Christmas sweater to drop hints for Carisi and I couldn’t resist.”

Olivia was beginning to feel the effects of downing both her wine and his scotch in quick succession and it was lowering her inhibitions. “Oh, if I wanted to drop hints, I’d be a lot less subtle about it, Rafa, trust me.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

She turned towards him, a mischievous, predatory glint in her eye. He backed up and she followed, pinning him against the glass doors. She placed her hands on his chest and slid them upwards, over his shoulders, revelling in the feel of the muscles beneath the wool. Her gaze dipped to his lips and her tongue darted out involuntarily.

Rafael grabbed her wrists. “Don’t,” he whispered roughly, fighting every instinct in his body. “Not unless you are absolutely sure this is what you want.”

Instead of verbalising an answer, Olivia yanked her wrists from his grasp, cupped his cheek and pressed her mouth firmly against his.

“I’m sure Rafa,” she smiled, drawing back a little.

Rafael leant forwards and recaptured her lips, kissing her again. One hand slid into her hair and tipped her head back, deepening the kiss, the other fell to her waist, pulling her closer. Her hands went around him, grasping at his sweater. His breath hitched as her cold fingers found their way under the hem and her nails gently scraped his skin. Olivia grabbed the hem of his sweater and pulled it off, only pausing their kiss to get it over his head. She dropped it to the floor as his hand slid up from her waist to palm her breast through the thin cotton of her shirt.

A shout from the street and the blaring of a car horn, reminded them where they were and, although they were several storeys up, Olivia pulled back, giving him a sexy smile. “I think we should take this inside.”

She pulled him by the hand to the sliding door, opening it and stepping over the threshold. Her hands reached up and she began to slowly unbutton her blouse as she backed into the apartment. Rafael stood staring, taken aback by her sheer beauty, as he was awarded tantalising glimpses of skin and pink lace.

It was only when she was halfway across the living room and calling back to him that he was roused from his trance.

“Don’t forget your sweater, Rafa… we may be needing that mistletoe…”


End file.
